Water-heater or analogous device.



No. s3|,s3a. a Patented Aug. 29, I899.

T. c. WITHEBSP OUN; WATER HEATER OR ANALUGUUS DEVICE.

A lication filed Seyt. 6, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Shani.

wi/flmaoow awuewto'zy W M. 85 Gttozmm No. 63!,838. Patented Aug.29,1999. T. c. WITHERSPOON.

WATER HEATER 0R ANALOGUUS DEVICE.

(Application filed Sept. 6, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

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U ITED STATES PATENT Prion.

THOMAS C. \VITI-IERSPOON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WATER-HEATER OR 'ANALOGOUS DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,838, dated August29, 1899.

Application filed September 6, 1898. Serial No. 690,327. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. WITHER- SPOON, acitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, in the Stateof Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in ater-Heaters and AnalogousDevices, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to both portable and stationary water-heaters andanalogous de vices; and its'chief objects are, first, to pro-.

vide a wa ter-heater which will. heat water more rapidly andeconomically than the water-heaters now in use with which I am ac-'tical cross-section of a portable water-heater on line 2 2 of Fig. A.Fig. 3 is a detailed vertical cross-section on line 3 3, Fig. 4. Fig. atis a plan View, on a reduced scale, of the heater illustrated in thepreceding view. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of a modification. tionof a stationary water-heater embodying my improvements on line 6.6,-Fig. 7;and

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section on line 7 7, Fig. 6.

Similar letters refer to similar parts thro ugh-.

out the several views.

My improved water-heater may either con tain a single set of tubes A andA, connected together, so as to form a serpentine or zigzag series Aopen from end to end, substantially as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,or several such serpentine or zigzag series of tubes arranged one seriesabove the other, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The tubes of each series arepreferably parallel except at their ends.

Each of the outside tubes A preferablybends inward at its inner end andforms a junction at with the tube next it, and the inner tubes A eachpreferably bends to the rightat one end and to the left at the other andforms junctions a with the tubes on each side of it, substantially asshown. This particular method of connecting the tubes A and A so Fig. 6is a vertical longitudinal sec-.

as to form the desired series is not essential,

though it is desirable.

Each series A of tubes A and A is preferably formed substantially asfollows: I first take a sheet A of suitable metal and form therein,preferably by stamping or otherwise, a series of open-topped channels Aand A preferablyparallel except at their ends, and whose bottoms a arepreferably flat both externally and internally, except at the sidecorners a and the ends a and whose sides a preferably slope upward andoutward, and v except the outer sides of the outside channels A meet theadjoining sides of the adjoining channels at apexes a of ridges A, whichthey form. The apeXes of said ridges are preferably either angular orrounded in cross-sea tion. At their inner ends each of the outsidechannels A preferably extends inward and forms a junction A with theinner channel A next it, and the inner channels A each preferably bendsto the right at one end and to the left at the other and forms ajunction a at each end with adjoining channels. \Vhere the tubes A and Adov not form their junctions in the manner above described, the form ofthe channels A and A have to be Varied accordingly. I prefer to make thedepth of each channel about one half its greatest width, as in that wayI secure a very large heating-surface; butI do not limit myself to anyproportions. Around the series of channels A and A I preferably leave anoutwardly-projecting flange A flush with the apexes a of the ridges A".By forming the channels A and A in the manner described and leaving theridges A between them I incidentally form in the under side of the sheetA a series of grooves or channels B, extending up between the channels Aand A and which correspond in form and position to the ridges A, ofwhich they form the reverse or under side. The sides I) of said channelsB preferably flare outward and at the bottoms b of said channelspreferably approach each other. Having thus formed a serpentine orzigzag series of channels A and A in one side of the plate A and formedon the under side the series of channels B, I next close the tops of thechannels A and A and complete the series of tubes A and A by fasteningto the face of the plate -A a metal plate 0, which is preferably flatand preferably rests upon the flange A and the apexes a of the ridges Aand other portions of the plate left flush therewith, and I preferablyfasten the sheets-together in any convenient manner asiorinstance,byjoining the edges of the plates A and C by a waterproof seam c andpassing a few rivets a through the plates at points where the plate 0 isin contact with the ridges A or the flange A It is not essential thatwater-tight joints shall beformed between the plate 0 and the ridges A,though it is desirable that they should be in contact with each other,so as to force most, if not all, the water passing through the heaterwhen it is in use to follow the course of the channels A and A When theplate A is given the form described, its body is sufficiently stiffalong lines parallel with the channels A and A to contribute allnecessary stiffness to the finished device along said lines, but atright angles to said channels it is desirable in the case of portablewater-heaters to stiffen the device by means of metal reinforcing-stripsD, Fig. 4, held in place by rivets passing through the plates A andWhere the heater is designed to be portable, I preferably rivet asuitable handle E to the top.

Where a single series A of tubes A and A is used, I preferably connectto the outer end of one of the tubes A a tube F, adapted for use inconnecting the water-heater with a source of water-supply, and to theouter end of the other tube A of the series Ipreferably connect a faucetG.

In Figs. 1 and 4c the tube F and faucet G are each shown extendingdirectly outward from the end of the tube A with which it connects; but,as will be obvious, they may connect either with the top or the bottomof a tube A, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

In Figs. 1, 4, 6, and 7 rectangular waterheaters are illustrated, butthere is no difficulty about making them circular, as shown in Fig. 5,or in giving them any other desired shape.

In Figs. 2 and 5 the water-heater is shown resting upon a support 11 ofcommon form, which, however, embodies no part of my invention. I I

In Fig. 2 an ordinaryBunsen gas-burner H is shown below the heater. Ihave found the Bunsen gas-burner very efficient in connection with thewater-heater described, and my water-heater is especially designed foruse in connection with a gas-burner of some suitable form.

In the case of stationary heaters designed for heating a large quantityof Water and in which several series A of tubes are used each series oftubes is preferably substantiallylike those illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5,inclusive, and I preferably place them within a suitable casing I, Figs.6 and 7; In such cases 1 preferably arrange each series of tubes so thatthe discharge end will be higher than the end at which water is admittedand so that the individual tubes Aand A will be substantially horizontalexcept at the ends thereof, substantially as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Thezigzag arrangement shown in the drawings is the one preferred. In suchcases the connecting-tubes G are preferably substantially vertical andlead from the outer end of the uppermost tube A of one. series to theouter end of a lowermost tube A of the series next above it. Each seriespreferably rests upon cleats J, secured to the inside of the casing I,and each is preferably supplied with a suitable Bunsen or othergas-burner K, arranged beneath'it and shown resting upon brackets K. Theburners are shown connected to a main pipe L by pipes Z, and each ispreferably provided with a cock L, which may be of any known form. Thecasing I is preferably provided with a suitable door I, adapted toafford access to its interior. A large apparatus of this kind is welladapted to furnish a sufficient quantity of hot water to heat adwelling.

WVhen water is to be heated by means of a water-heater embodying myinvention, the water is preferably allowed to pass through the heater ina continuous stream and should be turned on beforet-he gas islighted.When the burner is lighted, the intensely-hot flame arising from itplays upon the substantially fiat bottoms of the tubes A and A andpasses thence up between the channels A and A and thus comes in contactwith an unusuallylarge heating-surface in" proportion to the amount ofwater in the tubes, and the heat generated in the burner is transmittedvery quickly and with very little loss to the water in the heater, sothat water entering cold is heated hot by the time it reaches itsoutlet. By reason of the form of the channels 13 the flames from aburner are able to enter them freely, while the bottoms of said channelsare protected from burning out by their form and the fact that water ispresent on both sides of each of the channels up to the apex a of theridges A".

I claim- 1. In a water-heater a water-heating tube consisting of asheetof metal stamped to form a series of open-topped channels withsubstantially fiat bottoms internally and externally with inclined sidesand rounded junctions of the same with the bottoms, the said sidesinclining outwardly and the adjacent sides of two adjacent channelsforming apexes or rounded ridges, the channels at their ends extendingin opposite directions at opposite ends and joining with the adjacentends of the next adjacentchannels,the platethusstamped forming channelson the under side between the sloping sides of the above -mentionedchannels, and a plate resting upon the apexes of the ridges and joinedto the edge of the stamped plate by a waterproof seam and rivets, allsubstantially as shown and described.

2. In a water-heater a Water-heating tube consisting of a metal platestamped to form a series of open-topped channels with substantially flatbottoms internally and externally with inclined sides and rounded jauctions of the same with the bottoms, the said sides incliningoutwardly and the adjacent sides of two adjacent channels forming apexesof ridges, the channels at their ends extending in opposite directionsat opposite ends, the plate thus stamped forming channels on the underside between the sloping sides of the THOMAS O. WITHERSPOON.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. REI-IFELDT, BENJ. F. REX.

